Beginnings - #BlogElul 19

Ah, Rabbi Sommer, you've hit it again. Right on the nose. I heard people on the radio talking about how September really feels more like a new year than January - especially in Manitoba, where the summer is short and precious. The people reluctantly come back from the lake and take up reality again, preparing for the snow to fly by Halloween and the bone-chilling cold to be here by Hannukah.

I find it fascinating that the Rabbis chose to put the New Year for calculation of years, Sabbaticals and Jubilees on Rosh HaShanah, the first day of the seventh month. They said it was the anniversary of the creation of the world - hayom harat olam, literally today is the pregnancy of the world. Connecting to what I said yesterday about the Shechinah being our mother, Rosh HaShanah is the world's birthday, and in Elul we blow up the balloons and hang the streamers for the world's birthday party.

It's a new year - new clothes, new teachers, new resolutions. May it hold sweetness for us all.

I'm a Shabbat Guest!

My new friend Miriam Steinberg-Egeth has got one of the coolest Jewish blogs you are going to see anywhere. Last year she blogged each of her Shabbat experiences for the entire year. This year, she's getting her friends to do it for her, clever girl.

Getting 52 friends to blog for you can be a bit of a stretch, so Miriam put out an invitation to a group of Jewish women bloggers. I'm very fortunate to be a member of this group - there are some pretty darned big names here, and I'm humbly learning from them and everyone else.

I'm especially fortunate that Miriam agreed to have me be one of her guest bloggers! Woo hoo!

So, here it is - me posting on Miriam's blog about a summer Shabbat in Winnipeg - this past one, to be exact. I love her reference to alternate spelling - she clearly needs more Canucks on this blog! If you have something to say about Shabbat, consider contacting Miriam. Even if you don't, her blog is a pleasure for anyone to read.

You can put your comments here or on Miriam's blog - we both love them!